Had I a pseudonym to hand, I might attempt to ghostwrite a properly newsy piece in this space, with a headline like “Homegrown Heldentenor returns for Aussie concert tour” or “From the Met to Melbourne: Skelton’s Australian concert series” or something else slightly cheesy. But you’d probably know it was me and then we’d all feel a little awkward.

So instead, allow me to file this quick post under the “Shameless Plug” category as I draw to your attention that the aforementioned Homegrown Heldentenor is indeed back in Australia for a little while and singing with not one, not two, but three of your favourite symphony orchestras: Tasmania, Adelaide and Melbourne. The last of these might be particularly appealing as it pairs Beethoven’s 6th Symphony with Act I of Die Walküre, and thus offers a sort of foretaste of the Melbourne Ring next year – and at a fraction of the cost, of course!

For what it’s worth, these concerts are the first time Stuart’s been back to sing in Australia since 2010, and as it turns out, they represent the three composers who pretty much define his career these days: Beethoven, Mahler and Wagner. They also involve some fabulous colleages: Lorina Gore (swoon) and Richard Alexander in Tasmania, with Howard Shelley conducting and playing the Grieg Piano Concerto; Katarina Karneus and Arvo Volmer in Adelaide; and Daniel Sumegi, Meagan Miller and Markus Stenz in Melbourne. If I were ghostwriting, I’d throw in a quote here from Stuart about how thrilled he is to be back singing at home. I’m not, so I won’t, but rest assured: he is.

So if any of this appeals and you’re within reach of any of the cities involved, we’d love to see you at the concerts. Happily enough, Limelight already has the details of all three on its excellent events calendar, so I shall point you in the direction of their listings there and leave you to it. Enjoy!

The tour, then, is as follows:

July 15:
Grieg’s Piano Concerto & Beethoven’s Christ on the Mount of Olives
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra/Howard Shelley

July 28:
Schubert’s Symphony No 5 Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde
Adelaide Symphonu Orchestra/Arvo Volmer

August 16 & 18
Beethoven’s Symphony No 6 & Act I of Wagner’s Die Walküre
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra/Markus Stenz

And don’t feel neglected, Sydneysiders: remember there’s a Sydney Symphony Pique Dame in December with your name on it.